Courage
by Ryoukko-kai
Summary: Kiyoshi Mitarai, a.k.a. Seaman, stands up for Yusuke when the Spirit Defense Force is trying to destroy his body to prevent the Mazoku from being resurrected.  This is his thoughts on the incident.  Takes place during the Chapter Black arc.  Oneshot.


This takes place during the Chapter Black saga. I felt compelled, after watching Mitarai get Spirit-Tasered, to write this. It's Seaman's thoughts on Yusuke's resurrection and the S.D.F.'s attempts to kill Yusuke. This is dedicated to Forgotten Kaze, who adores Mitarai. Kaze...this one's for you!

* * *

"Hey, goldilocks…get out of the way." 

Mitarai didn't even have time to react before a blast of spirit energy threw him back, hurling his small body as easily as if he were a rag doll. A jolt of fiery energy raced through the boy, sending white-hot pain through him. For a brief moment, he didn't know which way was up and which way was down, and his mind was spinning, as was the world in his vision. The ceiling seemed down and the walls were up; everything was about as clear as the blood he could create water beasts out of. The reiki slightly singed his skin, but even worse was the almost electric effect it had. The blonde's muscles jerked and twitched spasmodically, the movement sending waves of new hurt down his already battered body. Too shocked to even scream, he dumbly stared at the Spirit World warrior that had struck him down.

That was when he painfully slammed into the ground, rolling over and over, even hitting his head on the cold, stone floor of the Demon's Door cave. Mitarai bit his lip to keep himself from crying out. He didn't want to give the other the pleasure of hearing him, a "weak" human, succumb to the pain. Seaman's other reason was that screaming would only hurt the tender muscles in his chest, as the fit of coughing that the blow induced already had. Besides, he didn't have the breath to scream; the air had been knocked out of his lungs from colliding with the earth. Blood flecked his lips as he hacked, gasping for breath. His whole body hurt, especially his torso.

Kuwabara's Jigen-tou had sliced open his upper body with a nasty cut from shoulder to the middle of his ribs. In the single day it had been since then, he hadn't recovered, even with the others' healing. The barely-formed scab over the slash wound split, his movement causing it to open up again. He gasped with pain, warm blood flowing out of the gash. Were it not for the bandages wrapped so tightly around his chest that he could hardly move his own torso, he probably would have bled to death from the wound. As it was, crimson seeped through the bandages under his yellow hoodie, staining them a deep red, like wine spilled on pure white sheets. Coughing, he shuddered, and propped himself up with one arm, barely able to move.

"Stop! He's just a kid!" Koenma exclaimed, angry at their actions.

The Spirit Defense Force told a story, explaining how Yusuke was a Ma-zoku, and that if they didn't destroy his corpse then he'd kill them all.

The sapphire-eyed boy's mind raced, even though he did not have the strength to move much. The energy blast had hurt him too much.

_I can't take this,_ he thought. _I've been bullied and pushed around my whole life. This is just another repeat of what I know to be true. This is how humans are. That's what Mister Sensui said… But Mister Sensui is wrong! Humans aren't all bad. Mister Yusuke and Mister Kuwabara helped me, saved me. I owe them my life and my sanity. I won't let these Spirit World people desecrate his body!_

Feebly, he drew himself to his feet, wincing in pain and clutching his wound. His muscles protested to their seemingly careless treatment, but he knew that he had to do this.

"You'll have to do it over my dead body!" he yelled, walking towards Yusuke's corpse. Too weak to make it all the way, he stopped, as close as his own body would allow him to move.

The others gasped.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Insinuating that he's a monster, or a traitor, or anything other than what he really is: a hero. Who do you think he's been fighting for? Who do you think he selflessly gave his life for? And this is how you reward him? It doesn't matter what's in your blood…All that matters is what's inside your heart!"

He didn't know what had compelled him to do that. He was timid, shy by nature, and calling someone out was not on the top ten list of things he expected to do. Then again, finding out that he could create water monsters wasn't exactly the norm until a week or so ago…

Maybe it was the little things, all the thoughtless insults and glib remarks, that had added up to be enough to spur him into action. Maybe it was the thought that Yusuke had been kind to him, when so many others had not, and that these people were going to destroy his body. Maybe it was nothing more than reckless teenage thinking that had finally fought its way through his careful control of himself. Or maybe it was none of those things, or perhaps all of them together. It didn't matter any more, though; the act had been done. Mitarai knew it was too late to go back.

_I'm probably going to die now,_ he realized. _I'll never study for another test again. I'll never argue with my parents over my hobbies. I'll never pick up a video game controller ever again. And I'll never stand in the rain, or hang out with my new friends, or make it to high school, or find out why I was picked for these powers. If Mister Yusuke is too young to die, then shouldn't I be as well?_

He faltered for a moment, unsure. Death seemed so incredibly final, and he was afraid. Couldn't some other option be chosen? Fear was taking over his mind, until one thought banished it all.

_But I'll never _get_ to do any of those things if the world is swallowed up by demons! And although Mister Kuwabara, Mister Kurama, and Mister Hiei are strong, they can't beat Mister Sensui- not without Mister Yusuke's help! And unless someone has the courage to stand up to these Spirit World officials, then he's going to die for good! And if that someone has to die to save the world, then he'll be dying a hero's death. That's what Mister Yusuke did, and I can do the same! It's not how I expected to die. I always thought that I'd die from a broken heart or loneliness. But dying a great, heroic death is fine with me, even if it doesn't really fit me. Even if no one will ever remember me, it will still be a good way to go…_

He could feel the Spirit Defense Force warrior behind him power up his aura, and Seaman braced himself for it.

_Good-bye,_ he thought, too afraid to say anything. Despite his inner turmoil, Mitarai's resolute expression never wavered. The blond-haired boy knew that he was right in this, and he was going to defend Yusuke or hope that his effort would buy the other enough time to return to life.

The Spirit soldier laid a hand on his back, and the teenager shuddered. A powerful electric shock traveled through him. The effect reminded him of the tasers in those sci-fi movies he would sometimes watch. It had always been rather humorous to watch someone on TV get shocked, but it was not amusing at all to feel it firsthand. His muscles convulsed, and he collapsed, head lolling. The jolt, strong as it was, almost knocked him out. As before, it raced through him, the ki irritating his already raw nerves. He saw white in his vision, and then it faded to black. He slipped into unconsciousness.

_Well, that's all that I could do. I just want to know…Did I make a difference?_ he wondered, as darkness took him.

* * *

When Mitarai groggily came to, Yusuke was standing up, alive, a huge blue phoenix behind him. Yelling that he needed to be in Demon World, he leaped on the bird's back, pulling Koenma up after him. 

"Mitarai, we'll come back for you soon. Let's go to Demon World, Puu!" Yusuke yelled, punching the air.

The bird screeched deafeningly, pounding its huge wings, and flew through the tunnel into the Makai.

One of the officers came up to the younger boy, laying a hand on his shoulder. Instinctively, he flinched, not liking being touched. A fit of hurt spread through every nerve of his body, and he whimpered softly in pain.

"You've got guts, kid. If it weren't for you and that defiant act of yours, we would've killed the Ma-zoku. Let's just hope that your guts were enough to save the world."

"D-Do you really think I saved us?" he asked.

"Who knows? Only time will tell. Still, that's some courage you have, standing up to the Spirit Defense Force. I'd like to see where it takes you," the officer said.

Nodding, he looked around. He, Mitarai, the supposedly useless kid, had just made a difference, perhaps one that had saved the world.

A small smile slid over his face. He had done it, and all it had taken was a little courage.

* * *

Wasn't much, I know, but I had to write it. My muse demanded it. So...please review! 


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